World/nation briefs

Cost of living raise for Social Security: 1.7% More than 56 million Social Security recipients will see their monthly payments go up by 1.7 percent next year. The increase, which starts in January, is tied to a measure of inflation released Tuesday. It shows that inflation has been relatively low over the past year, despite the recent surge in gas prices, resulting in one of the smallest increases in Social Security payments since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. Social Security payments for retired workers average $1,237 a month, or about $14,800 a year. A 1.7 percent increase will amount to about $21 a month, or $252 a year, on average. The announcement will affect about 1 in 5 U.S. residents.

Friends memorialize Arlen Specter Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was an "irreplaceable" force who approached politics -- and life -- with grit and determination, a who's who of politicians and others said at the longtime senator's funeral. "I've never seen as much undaunted courage as Arlen had -- both physically and politically," Vice President Joe Biden told mourners at Har Zion Temple in Narberth, a Philadelphia suburb. Specter died at his home on Sunday at 82 after battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Judge reverses ruling in prostitution case A judge reversed his decision about a Maine prostitution case, ruling that addresses and other identifying information can now be released for men charged with paying for sex with a fitness instructor. Police in the small town of Kennebunk are expected to re-issue a list of 21 names of men who have been issued summons for allegedly paying 29-year-old Zumba instructor Alexis Wright for sex. An earlier decision to release the names of alleged clients without any ages or addresses has caused big problems for men who have the same names as the accused.

Gaza militants fired anti-aircraft missile Israeli defense officials say that Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have for the first time fired an anti-aircraft missile at Israeli aircraft. The officials say the militants fired the Strela shoulder-fired missile at an Israeli helicopter operating over Gaza last week, but missed their target. The officials said Israeli intelligence has long believed that Gaza militants possessed these weapons, but this was the first time they were fired.

Police stop 2 visitors at schoolgirl's hospital British police said they questioned and turned away two people who tried to visit Malala Yousufzai in the British hospital where the 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl is being treated after being shot by the Taliban. "No arrests were made, and at no point was there any threat to Malala," the West Midlands police said. The police statement said two "well-wishers" arrived at the hospital overnight and were stopped.